Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, has issued a stern warning against assault on police officers, declaring that any attack will be met with a decisive and appropriate response.
Speaking during his visit to the Enugu State Police Command, yesterday, Egbetokun emphasised that such actions are not only criminal, but also an affront to the entire institution, vowing zero tolerance for such incidents in 2025.
Egbetokun made it clear that assault on police officers are not only criminal, but also an attack on the entire institution. He stressed that the police will collectively respond to any killing or assault on their personnel, ensuring that justice is served.
He said, “We will not tolerate any assault on our officers, not to talk of killing. Assault on a policeman is criminal, it is an assault on the IGP and we are not going to take kindly to it, not to talk of killing any of our officers.
“Anywhere there is killing of any policeman, you must respond collectively and appropriately. There must be appropriate response from us. Where a policeman is assaulted, there must be appropriate response to it.
“We will not tolerate it anymore. This year, we are going to say no to assault on our officers. We are going to say no, a capital no, to killing of any of our men,” he insisted.
This zero-tolerance stance is part of the police force’s efforts to protect its personnel and maintain law and order. Egbetokun also acknowledged that the force is working with the federal government to improve the welfare of its personnel.
Interestingly, the force recently demonstrated its commitment to justice, as seen in its impartial investigation into the alleged assault of a Bolt driver by a federal lawmaker.
Egbetokun commended the policemen in Enugu State for their professionalism, but expressed concern about a few rogue officers who are tarnishing the force’s image.
He said: “I want to assure you, officers and men of Enugu State Command, that we recognize the good job that you are doing. You are very hardworking. You are committed. You are diligent in the discharge of your duties.
“I had met the governor earlier on and he was full of praises for officers and men of this command. I am super proud of your achievements and your conduct generally.
“I also want to tell you that as very good as you have been doing, there are still a few bad eggs among you that are giving us concerns.
“We are going to talk about that one when we have our family meeting. This year, we are going to approach it with determination. Determination to stamp out criminals. The ones that have been chased away will not be allowed to come back and I am going to support this command with everything, every resource that is at our disposal.
“So that the achievements you have recorded will not be tampered with, you are going to record more achievements this year.
“In this year, we are going to vigorously pursue our policing vision for Nigeria. We will emphasize professionalism. We will emphasize ethical conduct of our officers. We will emphasize training and retraining of our officers.
“We will equip you with modern policing tools to discharge your duties effectively. We will also look after your welfare. The federal government is passionate about the welfare of police officers. Mr President recognises the sacrifices that you make and he is very concerned about you.
“There are a lot of things that we are working out together that I don’t want to announce in public now, but by the time these welfare programmes start unfolding, you will just be quiet with it. It is not just something we want the public to know about now, but please be assured and don’t be persuaded by the enemies of the police to make you believe that your welfare is neglected.
“No IGP will neglect the welfare of his officers and men. I have read on social media all kinds of things being posted by mischievous people, mischief-makers. There was a recent one circulating that they said the IGP said any policeman who asks for your phone, you should beat him up. You can see that this is the handiwork of enemies.”
